Season 5, Episode 1: Return of the Sirens
by RedRogue
Summary: The girls are fed up with Scott's 'big picture' thinking, and set off to help the little people again. The Sirens are reformed, with some new recruits. Meanwhile, Gambit decides he's ready to join the X Men, but is he the very theif the Sirens are after?
1. Little People

**A/N: A story that has been sitting in my computer for years. Decided to revamp and post. Dedicated to Jeannie-Redd and Russia's-little-Kiska, my fellow sirens.**

**Set after the final episode—enjoy!**

-

Principle Kelly sifted through papers on his desk after a long day of work. So many unruly students, even after most of the mutants had gone on to bigger and better things. Students were just always unruly around here, with more attitude than they could handle. He blamed the mutants most of the time, but even he had to admit that sometimes there was no way he could pin the fault on them. Children just didn't behave, and that was that.

But how he could twist it just so, so that the mutants would bear most of the fault. He was good at that. They were nothing but menaces, all of them. Freaks of nature that had no right to live among 'normal' humans.

Robert Kelly leaned back in his chair thoughtfully. Pushing some papers aside, he pulled out a campaign flyer for the latest mayor. If only he was the ruler of the town… how he would make some changes around here… Which is why he had petitioned to become the next mayor. The mutant community didn't take well to his opinions, but that was their problem. He was here to defend those who couldn't defend themselves.

That's when he heard it. A low growl was coming somewhere within the dim room. Kelly looked up, and saw a pair of drooling fangs, grinding together angrily. That's when his heart lurched in fear.

_-_

_Cue theme song…_

-

Wolverine took a deep sniff of the musty air, the fog hindering his heightened sense of smell. He took a moment longer than usual, that was all. It didn't take much to tack the scent of his oldest enemy. He growled when he got a big whiff of dirty cat.

"This way!" he yelled, taking off into the fog. The rest of the X-Men team followed at his heels. Iceman huffed and puffed at the rear.

"Tell me again why we're defending the dude whose main deal is to get rid of mutants?"

"Because we have to prove to him that not all mutants are the same," Cyclops replied as they wound around a street corner.

"Something tells me he's not one to change his mind about us…" Nightcrawler countered.

"Even still, how bad would it look to have the anti-mutant activist killed by a _mutant_?" Jean added. "It would only prove _him_ right."

Suddenly, Shadowcat stopped in her tracks. Iceman ran ahead to keep up with the others, while Rogue stopped to see what was the matter.

"Kitty, what's going on?" Rogue called. Shadowcat's eyes swelled with pity, and she pointed off into a nearby alleyway. Rogue followed her direction, looking to what she was motioning to. She gasped when she saw a woman getting mugged in an alleyway.

"Rogue, what's the hold-up?" Cyclops called through the fog to them. He noticed what they were looking at. "Sabertooth is going to get to Kelly before we can! We'll have to get to her later. Com'on!"

They hesitated, watching the man run off with the woman's purse.

"But Cyclops!" Rogue begged. "What about--!"

"Com'on, girls," Jean said sadly. "We have to go."

"But--" Kitty began.

"I don't understand either, but he's the leader. Let's go."

Kitty followed obediently, but not without looking back at the woman and her pleading expression. The man was long gone with her purse, ready to cause credit card and insurance hell.

It didn't seem fair, and she didn't understand, but with every fiber of her being, she ran off with the other X-men.

-

Rogue burst through the front door with her fellow X-men, fuming. The mission had been a success. They had saved Kelly and sent Sabertooth home with his tail between his legs. He had been outnumbered, sure, but victory always felt good.

But Rogue was _mad_.

"Whah couldn't we spare _two_ seconds to help that woman, Scott?" Rogue demanded.

"I told you," Scott replied impatiently. "Two seconds could be all Sabertooth needed to slash Kelly with his long fingernails. We had no time to fool around."

"'Fool _around'_?" Rogue choked, her voice going louder. "Savin' that woman's finances, dignity and quite possibly her _life_ is not 'fooling around'."

Kitty stepped into the conversation too, and the others stuck around to see how this age-old argument would turn out.

"Why don't we _make_ time for the little people occasionally?" Kitty said.

"Because the big people matter!" Scott shouted, now getting angry at his authority being questioned. "Because the 'big' people make the rules and differences that save thousands of the 'little' people's finances, dignity, and quite possibly their _lives_."

"Oh, Principle Kelly is a man who cares about the little people, uh-huh," Rogue said cynically.

"That gives us no reason not to save his life, you know that. At that particular moment, we could make more of a difference saving him than some random mug victim on the street who won't even remember us."

"I don't know, Scott," Jean said quietly. "I think I'm with them on this one. Kelly had more than enough time."

"Not you _too_!" Scott said, throwing his hands in the air. "Why is this so hard to understand? We saved the people that mean something to this entire country. Think about the big picture."

"So random people on the street don't mean something to this country?" Jean put her hands on her hips.

Scott sighed loudly.

"When it comes down to it, I'm the leader here, and you have to trust my decisions. That's it."

With that all three girls at the same time snorted and stormed to the dressing room to get out of uniform.

"Can you believe him?" Kitty complained.

"It's like he's lost all respect for the Cause," Rogue retorted. "The little people are what makes this a country in the first place!"

"Just drop it, you guys," Jean said, just as angry as them, but trying to be more mature about this. "You aren't going to win this one."

-

**Time for the first commercial break. Don't worry, the chapters will be longer after this. Please review.   
Signed,  
--RedRogue**


	2. Big Ideas

**A/N: EDIT: Thanks to the reviewer who reminded me that Evan/Spyke would not be around during the 'new season', due to joining the Morlocks. The first chapter has been tweaked to remedy this.**

-

Late into the night, Kitty was still talking about the day's events, and Scott's speech about supporting the 'big picture'. Rogue was getting quite sick of hearing it, but figured it was better for Kitty to vent on her than on Scott himself. She listened patiently to her friend as they raided the refrigerator for midnight snacks.

"I mean, the nerve!" Kitty said for the umpteenth time, scooping out some chocolate power for her milk and mixing it furiously. "Don't you like, feel _guilty_?"

"Sure Ah do, Kitty," Rogue said with a yawn, grabbing a soda. "But like Jean said, ya can't do anythin' about it. Just stop fussin'."

"I just can't, like, get _over_ it!" Kitty insisted, plopping down on the nearest chair. "Next time, I'm stopping no matter what Scott says."

"Ya have to obey, or ya lose your field mission privileges," Rogue pointed out as she took a big gulp of cola straight from the can.

"I know," Kitty said with a sigh, now stirring her chocolate milk absentmindedly. "I wish there was _something_ we could do."

"Yeah," Rogue replied as she got up to leave. "You can go to sleep and forget about it."

But Kitty couldn't, and it kept her up that night, as she laid awake in her bed. It was like Rogue had said; Scott had lost all respect for the Cause. He was too obsessed with the 'big picture'. It was too bad there weren't a couple heroes for the _little_ pictures…

Kitty sat straight up in her bed, so excited she just about phased through it.

"That's it!" she hissed, leaping from bed and phasing through the door, much to the confusion of Danielle. She hustled as quietly as she could manage all the way to Rogue's new room, and knocked lightly on the door.

"Rogue!"

The skunk-headed girl opened the door, though didn't seem too happy about being woken up at such an ungodly hour.

"What?" Rogue mumbled, still half asleep.

"Let's do something! Let's be the Sirens again!"

"You're kiddin', right?" Rogue said, suddenly wide-awake. "You mean be illegal vigilantes. No, thank you. We swore that off ages ago. Do you _want _to go to jail?"

Rogue's new roommate, Alison, sat up in her bed, listening intently but not saying a word.

"Don't you _want_ to make a difference?" Kitty insisted to Rogue. "Help the little people? Just remember what a blast it was. And with your powers, and Jean's… It'll be a breeze."

"Wait, you're not bringin' Jean into this madness either," Rogue said firmly.

Kitty grinned.

"She was a Siren, right?"

"What's a Siren?" Alison asked. "What's going on?"

Rogue sighed and crossed her arms. Alison was ignored.

"Stop being insane and go back to sleep," Rogue commanded Kitty. "It's just wrong for so many reasons. Besides, we don't have all of us anymore… With Amara taken back with her family, and Tabitha who knows where…"

"We can do this ourselves! In secret, like before…"

"One word: _Scott_. He knows who the Sirens are."

"With his brother enrolled and starting training this week," Alison finally joined in. "Scott will be too distracted to notice the _sky_ falling. Not to mention he's as dumb as a doorknob."

"Hey, you hush, Dazzler!" Rogue commanded her. "You're not a part of this. Believe me, you don't want to be."

"Hey, listen Southern Belle," Alison said, folding her arms indignantly. "You guys _made_ me a part of this when you woke me up at two-thirty in the morning!"

"Com'on, Rogue," Kitty pleaded. "We can do this."

"Count me in," Alison raised her hand. "Even if I have to tolerate 'woe-is-me' Rogue over there, I want in."

Rogue sighed and ran her hands over her face in frustration.

"Fine. Ya get Jean, Ah'm in too."

"Deal!" Kitty said, satisfied in her victory.

"Ah can't believe Ah'm doin' this _again_…"

-

Logan and Professor Xavier gazed over the green campus at the younger students in the yard. Some played catch, others played basketball, but all in all, they seemed to be having fun.

"The new students seem to be adapting with the others splendidly," Professor commented, nodding toward a dark-skinned, raven haired girl sitting next to Kitty by the pool. Both were deep in conversation as they rubbed tanning lotion upon their arms. "Danielle Moonstar seems finally settled in…"

Next, he looked to a short Chinese girl playing ping-pong with a long-haired blonde boy, laughing loudly as she stopped the ball in midair and then hit it back to him with her paddle.

"_Hey, no fair!"_ the blonde called out in protest.

"Scott's brother Alex is bonding well with our little time-manipulator, Lea Chan. I think being enrolled at the same time might have influenced their friendship."

Logan put his hands in his pockets as his own eyes trailed over to a blonde girl with dark make-up sitting in the shade on a green bench, reading a book by herself. She looked up from her reading once to watch the other students play, but she soon lost interest and dived back into her story.

"What about that one?" Logan pointed her out.

"Ah," Professor said regretfully. "Alison Blaire. A runaway, who seems very untrusting of us, especially her new roommate, Rogue. I'm hoping that time will cure her of that."

Logan took a final look around at the campus, and barely saw the trench-coated shadow just hopping down to the outside of the wall and beyond sight.

"Did you see--?"

"Yes," Professor interrupted. "It's our old acquaintance: Gambit. He's been coming around for quite some time. At first I believed that it was just to keep an eye on Rogue, but now, I'm starting to think he's developed new reasons."

"He's not thinkin' of _joinin'_, is he?" Logan growled in contempt.

"I don't know. But might I add, Logan, I would welcome him if he so desired to stay. I hope you would do the same."

Logan ground his teeth at the thought and pulled up his collar around his neck.

"Yeah, yeah…" he grumbled and he stalked off.

-

"NO WAY," Jean said firmly, finishing up the drying on her SUV. Kitty was begging her to join, and she was on her last nerve.

"_Please_?" Kitty said, eve pulling out the last resort of her infamous 'Kitty Eyes' and pouty lips, hoping to coax Jean into it. Surprisingly, even that was deflected.

"No," Jean countered. "Don't pull that look on me. Being a Siren is too risky, especially since the Apocalypse ordeal and people now realize how dangerous mutants can be. We'll get arrested."

"I knew it," Kitty said, folding her arms and moping. "I knew since you've been dating Scott that you'll always want to be under him, taking orders…"

Jean froze, and that's when Kitty found her angle. Jean slapped down her towel angrily.

"That's not true!" she insisted. "I can think for myself."

Kitty folded her arms and looked skeptical.

"The only time I ever saw you think for yourself was when you were a Siren."

Jean said nothing.

"Just think about it, Jean," Kitty said, taking her leave. Jean frowned as Kitty walked off, but didn't have the words to argue anymore. Kitty exited through the garage door, passing through the kitchen absentmindedly.

"Hi, Scott," she waved distractedly as she passed his backside sticking out form the fridge, searching for food.

Then, went Kitty reached the door to the hall, she halted abruptly, dawning on an idea. Then she smiled. Widely.

"Oh, _Sco-ott_!" Kitty sang, turning back around. "_Jean_ wants to talk to you…!"

"What about?" he said, taking a drink from the water bottle he took from the fridge.

"I don't know," Kitty thought quickly. "Something about needing help with her SUV, because she's incapable of doing it herself, because she's not strong enough. You know… being a _girl_ and all…"

"Oh, I see," Scott said with a determined nod, going right out the door. "Thanks, Kitty."

"Don't thank me yet," she muttered under her breath, sticking around to see the inevitable fight transpire.

A moment later, Scott was back inside, a very angry Jean behind him.

"And even if there _WAS_ something wrong, I wouldn't ask a egotistical, macho, hyper-competitive, testosterone driven _JERK_ like you!"

"Whoa!" Scott said, throwing up his hands. "That's going _too_ far, Jean! I was just trying to help!"

"Help someone else. Look up Taryn, I'm sure _she'll_ want you to hang on her every whim. We are _so_ through!"

"Fine!" Scott said. "I wouldn't want to be with you anyway, you over-sensitive, touchy femin-Nazi GIRL!"

With that, Scott stormed off. Kitty gasped and her chest flooded with guilt. She didn't realize this would go so deep… She figured quickly that they must have been having problems before, otherwise this fight wouldn't have been so easily aroused.

Jean was fuming. One could almost see the fire out of her mouth. She noticed Kitty, standing stunned in the doorway, her mouth hanging open.

"Let's show these guys what we're made of," Jean said determinedly.

Kitty was easily cheered, and applauded this happily.

"All _right_!"

-

**Please review.  
Signed,  
--RedRogue**


	3. Back in Action

"Then I totally saved Beast's furry hide just when Sabertooth was about to jump him!" Bobby bragged to his friend as they walked down the hall to their next training session. Roberto shook his head in disbelief.

"No way," Roberto argued. "_You _saving _Teach_? That's far-fetched, even for you."

"It's the truth, I swear!" Bobby insisted.

The boys stopped their conversation as Alex came around the next corner, waving to a short, black-haired girl as they parted ways in the hall.

"Alright, Lea, see ya at lunch!" Alex said to her as he joined Bobby and Roberto. She waved back.

"Okay, see you, Alex!" Lea called back as she walked off in the other direction with her girlfriends, Kitty and Danielle. Roberto and Bobby exchanged amused glances as Alex caught up with them.

"Dude," Roberto commented to Alex. "You and _Lea_ sure get along well, huh?"

"Yeah, she's pretty cool," Alex replied, then backtracked, fearing the boys would assume the worst. "I mean, you know, for a _girl_…"

They didn't buy it.

"She's pretty _cute_ for a girl too," Bobby teased with a grin.

"Com'on," Alex protested. "I mean, she is, but we're just friends."

"Uh huh," Roberto said with a nod. "That's what Scott said about Jean, and look at _them_…"

"It's not like that," Alex insisted.

"Okay," Bobby said, walking ahead of them. "Then you wouldn't mind if I… asked her out?"

Alex frowned at Bobby's back, his knuckles involuntarily going a little white in his tightened grip. Even though he had never thought on the matter before, that idea sounded like the ghastliest threat in the world. Suddenly the thought of sharing Lea with anyone else was something he couldn't bear to imagine. Even still, he couldn't back down now, so through gritted teeth… he lied.

"No…" he said with a shaky grin. "Of course I wouldn't mind. Why would I mind?"

"Good!" Bobby said, splitting up with them as he headed to a more advanced training session than their own. "Cuz it'd be kinda awkward if you did. Catch ya later, guys."

Alex frowned, but didn't say another word.

-

Jean dug through her closet, making a mess of the surrounding room. Where was it? She spotted the black duffel in the corner of the top shelf, where she had hid it from herself. Inside that bag was the most dangerous thing she had ever possessed. Its contents were never supposed to be opened again, by her, or by anyone.

She plopped the duffel on her bed, her heart pounding wildly as she carefully unzipped the bag, and gazed onto the ghastly sight once more… The horrific green vest, those dangerous leather pants, those dreadful green-heeled boots…

Her Sirens uniform.

It was a sight she had not seen in quite a while. She was almost afraid to touch it…

_Almost_.

-

Rogue looked at herself in the mirror, sporting her Siren's uniform, with more than a few extra changes this time around. Instead of the short brown jacket, she had exchanged it for a long, charcoal gray trenchcoat. Her boots had also been changed to gray, and the green tube top had been replaced with a deep red one. Her pants were still the same as before, and she was now thankful this leather number still _fit_. Denying those cupcakes were now officially worth the sacrifice. She looked to Alison for her opinion. Alison was the first of them to finish getting ready, wearing a purple leather jacket. A purple belt slung low on her hip, and rounded shades covered her eyes, as was trademark for a Siren.

"You have bad taste in clothes," Alison observed behind her, slipping on a purple boot for herself at the fitting room of a mall store. Rogue motioned to Alison's chunky brown highlights in her otherwise platinum blonde hair.

"_You_ have a bad dye job, Zebra," Rogue replied.

"Look who's talking, Skunk-head?" Alison retorted, just as Rogue flipped her white streaks together to form a single stripe, only serving to prove her statement true. Rogue frowned in heavy frustration, unable to argue.

"Hey!" Jean said, breaking up the opposing girls. "Try to remember that we're on the same side, huh?"

Alison looked away, and Rogue rolled her eyes. Jean gave up on the two for now, slipping on a green sleeveless trench coat for herself, to replace the green vest she had worn before.

"Be honest," Kitty said, emerging from the closet in a brand new blue themed outfit, her cat-eyed glasses snugly in place upon her nose. "What do you think?"

Alison looked from herself to the others, each sporting a different color, Rogue in red, Jean in green, Kitty in blue, and herself in purple.

"I think we look like female Power Rangers."

Jean smiled as this, but overpowered her statement with one of her own.

"_I_ think we're _ready_."

-

"Just focus, Alex," Scott coaxed him, pointing upward at the next target in the Danger Room. "Try to aim small."

The training session was going well so far, and Scott was especially proud of his little brother. The other new recruits, practiced with the other tutors nearby, such as Lea, now known in uniform as "Sway" for her ability to manipulate time, who was learning under Beast. Alison was here as well, now dubbing herself "Dazzler", as she claimed was her stage name back home. Dazzler was learning under the instruction of Storm.

Scott threw his attention back to Alex, who had kept Magneto's given code name of "Havok".

The blonde made ready to shoot, and concentrated his attention on the center of the target. No way he was going to make a fool of himself in front of the other kids… especially Lea.

As he was about to fire, he heard her laugh with Beast, giving the large blue gorilla a high-five in victory.

He didn't realize that he had fired already. Needless to say, he missed by a mile, hitting Lea's cannon instead and making it plummet to the ground, right above her.

"Oh no!" Alex shouted in fear. Lea thought quickly, snapping her fingers, and in the next instant, she was standing out of harm's way. She had used her time-stopping powers to move herself just in time. The photon cannon hit the ground with a loud crash, Scott not even bothering to shoot it out of the way, since it's destruction wasn't putting anyone in immediate danger. The other X-children gasped and pointed to the culprit, Alex, who was hiding his face in shame.

"Apology major, guys!" he called to them with a genuine sorrow. "My bad!"

"What's the matter, little bro?" Scott asked, throwing an arm around his younger brother. "I _know_ you can make that shot."

"Sorry, Scott," Alex replied. "I guess I'm just a little out of it today."

Scott cocked his head curiously.

"What's got you so distracted?"

Alex glanced over to Beast and his short, little Asian pupil, Lea. Scott didn't notice. Alex just shook his head and turned to walk off.

"Nothing…" the blonde mumbled quietly.

-

"Ah still can't believe we're doin' this," Rogue complained from the backseat of Jean's SUV. Shadowcat, on the other hand, could hardly contain her excitement. They were in full Siren uniform, patrolling around town like a squad car.

"Isn't this _great_?" Shadowcat gushed. "Back on the streets, down and dirty. We're real heroes again!"

"Or real _crazy_," Rogue grumbled. "Ah still can't believe we're--"

"Somebody-- help!"

Immediately, Jean yanked the car around and screeched it to a halt. All four girls scrambled out and headed toward the voice, which came from a man in a corner pawnshop. Five men carrying bags of jewelry (and whatever else they could carry) ran from the store's front door. The four girls marched in a straight line, strutting down the sidewalk perhaps a little too confidently.

"Problem, gentlemen?" Shadowcat said, getting there first. The men all turned, and laughed at the girls.

"Who the heck are you?" the largest man in the center said.

"Uuuh…" Shadowcat didn't know what to say. They couldn't be the Sirens anymore… what were people supposed to call them?

"Uuuh--"

"At the moment, we're yer worst nahtmare, fellahs," Rogue said from behind. "Ah'll take the ugly one."

"No," Dazzler argued, getting in a fight stance. "_I'll_ take the ugly one."

Shadowcat looked between all five of the men.

"And like… _which_ one's the ugly one?"

They attacked, just as Jean said:

"Take your pick!"

As the man in the center charged at Shadowcat, she escaped by phasing through the store wall, taking the man's bag of loot with her. Rogue bit off her glove and flirtatiously stroked the face of another, catching his glass vase before it fell down with him. Jean lifted the television set out of another thug's hands, and gently put it back in its place on the store's shelf. Dazzler then came from behind the same brunette hooligan and blasted him roughly into the side wall. The one after Shadowcat wasn't confused for long, and lunged at her again. Kitty round-housed, getting him on the chin with her blue boot. It knocked him unconscious. Finally, Jean collapsed the mind of the fifth and final robber.

The store manager put a hand to his forehead, his face ashen white. He looked like he would've rather dealt with the five hoodlums than with them.

"Are you alright, sir?" Jean asked the man with concern. "You look a little sick."

"Don't hurt me!" he pleaded, frightened by their very presence.

"We just saved you!" Shadowcat reminded him. "Why would we hurt you?"

"Take whatever you want… just-- just let me go home!"

"Be mah pleasure," Rogue said, stepping aside to let him through. He ran off in quite a hurry.

"What's _his_ problem?" Dazzler wondered out loud.

"He was late for a meetin' with his _therapist_," Rogue answered cynically.

She walked off with the others back to car, not noticing the glowing red eyes watching their every move…

**-**

**A picture will be posted of the Sirens' new getup soon. Please review.  
Signed,  
--RedRogue**


	4. A Little Cooperation

Gambit opened the front door of Xavier's School and simply let himself in. Professor, having sensed his presence long before he even set foot on his property, came into the foyer to meet him.

"Yo," Gambit said, walking right by the man in the wheelchair. "I'm not stayin' long."

"Yes, I see," Professor said with an amused nod. "A room has already been prepared for you. You may stay as long as you like."

Gambit stopped at the foot of the stairs to look at the Professor, as if for the first time. He seemed to let it go.

"I'll prob'ly be gone by tomorrow."

"That is fine as well," Professor said, though skepticism was on the edges of his tone. He knew that Gambit, rather than commit to being a new X-Man recruit and submitting to their rules, would feel freer going about pretending to be temporary. Even still, he had a feeling that Gambit wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon.

-

The Sirens were reborn. Almost every night they would cruise around town in Jean's SUV, and her newly installed police scanner. Alison proved to be a valuable addition to their little team. Her blasting skills allowed them to have long-range combat, even from a moving vehicle like their car. 'Crooks got booked, and robbers got clobbered', as Kitty would say.

And it was fun.

But all the while, they began to feel like they were being watched, or even followed. It especially gave Rogue the creeps. Often she would trail behind the others, hoping to catch a glimpse of something… anything. Was Scott onto them? He would have showed himself by now, wouldn't he? He was smooth, but not stealthy. They would surely have seen him by now, right? Jean couldn't be so sure.

"You really think that these guys are part of a bigger ring, like the car thieves last time?" Kitty asked Jean.

"Seems that way," Jean said, going over a small map of the city. "They seem to only be hitting jewel stores in a two mile radius from this very house."

Rogue perked up in her seat in surprise.

"You think it's someone from the mansion?"

"Whoever they are, they're good," Alison added in. "I mean, we have mutant powers and these guys still manage to slip through our--"

All manner of previous conversation stopped as Bobby walked into the kitchen, and grabbed a fruit from the fruit bowl in the center of the table. All four girls stared at the boy in silence, wondering how much he had overheard. Bobby, noticing their wide-eyed stares, frowned in confusion. Feeling suddenly very uncomfortable, he decided it best to take his apple and leave.

"And they say _I'm_ cold…" he muttered as he left.

-

"Stop! Thief!" a man yelled out of a jewelry store.

"Jean!" Kitty yelled for her friend to catch up with the rest of them, while she took a shortcut through a building. That is, _through_ the building.

"This is one of them, girls!" Jean called. "We can't lose him this time!"

"Ah'm on it!" Rogue yelled back, running after the thief. Jean was flying right ahead of her, and Alison was sprinting full speed.

"Stop, you!" Kitty commanded.

"Or yer gonna hafta suffer the consequences!" Rogue added.

He turned into an alley, one he obviously had underestimated the wall at the end. Kitty came through the wall behind Rogue and Alison, and Jean flew next to her and let herself down. The man found himself cornered, and turned to face them. He held a small bag, most likely holding the jewelry.

"No one gets hurt, no one gets arrested, if you hand over the bag over nice and easy," Jean stood as the voice of reason, using her powers to hold the man still.

The dark man reached inside of the bag, and took out a pearl necklace.

"That's it…" Rogue said, taking a step over, and holding out her hand. Suddenly, the necklace began to glow. It was charged with kinetic energy.

"Wait!" Kitty yelled, running in front of her. "It's…!"

Rogue looked at Kitty with a sigh.

"I _know_ who it is, Kitty. I can see just as plainly as you that it's Gambit."

"Gambit?" Jean repeated in suprise.

"Oui, mademoiselle?" said the man, stepping out of the darkness so they could see him.

"Sorry if Gambit get you worked up. I just had a few of his buddies go around town theivin' things too. I just had to see how good you really are."

"So how good are we?" Kitty said, placing a hand on her hip.

"Not bad. You have an advantage with yo' powers. But yo' weakness ain' yo' strength-- It's yo' knowledge o' da game. You rush into it all, an' you play it wit' no brains. I can help you in dat department. You can go afta' da big boys."

"You can't help us," Kitty insisted. "This is a 'girls only' group."

"Kitty!" Jean shushed her. "The boy's a master thief. Think about it. We could use him."

Rogue wasn't liking the idea either, and crossed her arms to express so.

"An' yer just gonna do this out of the goodness of yer heart?" she asked him. She didn't trust this man, who not too long ago had kidnapped her and used her for his own benefit. Then again, they were planning on doing the same thing to him.

"Hey, da Angels had dere Charlie," Gambit shrugged. "I'll work behind da scenes if you want."

Gambit grinned.

"On one condition, of course…" he added.

The four girls jerked their heads up in alarm.

"And what would that be?" Alison was the first to ask.

Gambit leaned on his staff casually.

"I could use a date fo' Friday night."

Rogue scowled and waved good-bye, hinting that the discussion was now over.

"Ferget it."

The others shook their heads at Gambit's nerve, and began to follow Rogue.

"All right," Gambit called after them. "Suddenly I think your Professor friend and I could use a lil' chat, no?"

Rogue stopped in her tracks. She then looked at Jean. Jean looked at Kitty. Kitty looked at Alison. Alison looked at Rogue.

"Wait!" they said together. Gambit stopped in his tracks and grinned.

"_Oui_?" he said, turning around, his smile turning cocky.

"Don't you think yer gettin' a kiss after this date," Rogue said with a sigh. "And ya better not take me to a Taco Bell."

"Wouldn't think of it, Chere," he said with a wink. Rogue and walked away with the others. Gambit jogged a bit to catch up with her.

"We go somewhere nice… Like da Merci Paris, den we eat good by candlelight… dinner fo' two…"

"Ah already said yes, Gambit," Rogue said over her shoulder.

"Mebbe afterward you might feel compelled t' give Gambit a kiss all on yo' own, eh, Chere?"

Jean snickered her disbelief.

"In yer wildest dreams, Gambit," Rogue said.

"Ah, Chere, my wildest dreams don't involve just kissin'…"

Kitty giggled, and Rogue shot her a harsh look of warning. Kitty shut up quickly.

"Cajun, are you gonna shut yer mouth, or am Ah gonna hafta help ya?"

Gambit smiled; thought about it. He fought it, so hard, but he couldn't resist.

"No, I think yo' gonna hafta help me wit' dat one, Chere."

Rogue growled in anger, and began to storm up to him to grant his wish, when Jean grabbed her.

"Rogue, don't. We have a full night ahead of us and we don't need you to have uncontrolled kinetic energy to deal with. Com'on. He isn't worth it anyway."

Rogue glared, but listened.

"Swamp trash," she mumbled, and he smirked in response.

-

The next day, Danger Room was impossible. The only objective was to eliminate all the threats, and well… Not all the team members were cooperating.

"Rogue, get the cannon!" Scott yelled desperately to her. "And Jean, give me a shield while I go after the razor launcher."

"I'm busy, Scott," Jean snapped back.

"Fine. Kitty, phase through those machines! Gambit, cover Nightcrawler as he disconnects the cannons. Logan…" Scott paused, watching Wolverine slice through guns, machines and cannons like butter.

"Logan, just try not to hit anybody."

Suddenly, several things happened at once. A gun got Rogue and she fell from the platform to the ground, while Kurt ported and appeared in a gun's perfect target. Jean was going solo taking out a flamethrower to save Kitty. Scott blasted away the threatening cannon just after it nicked Kurt in the arm, while Gambit was busy catching Rogue before she hit the ground below.

"Guys, guys, what are you _doing_?" Cyclops demanded. "Stop simulation."

The world around them immediately disappeared.

"Kitty, why weren't you taking out the cannon I ordered you to?"

Kitty rolled her eyes.

"At the moment, sir, the other one looked more dangerous."

"And Logan, we're a team, play as one."

"Watch it kid, I outrank you. Do you want me to be a team player or get the job done, bub?"

"And Gambit, I told you to get Nightcrawler's back!"

Kurt grumbled some curses in German, rubbing his hurt arm.

"But Rogue needed some savin'!" Gambit explained as he carried her in his arms.

"Only from _you_," Rogue retorted, shoving him away from her.

"And Jean," Scott went on. "_You_ were supposed to protect _me_."

"Maybe I didn't _want_ to protect you," Jean replied, sticking her nose in the air and folding her arms. Scott frowned and walked after her. He lowered his voice for only her to hear.

"Look, whatever's going on in our personal lives, it shouldn't affect our work."

"Same thing applies to you, Scott," Jean shot back. "Seems the more we question your high and mighty authority, the more you overexert it."

"Jean," Storm said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "An apology is easier than anger. Make peace with Scott and all will be well."

The Danger Room went silent. You could hear a pin drop. Everyone stared at them, to see how this would progress.

"I'm sorry, Scott," Jean said sincerely, and everyone held their breath. Kitty gasped. She couldn't believe it. If they made up, would the Sirens be over?

"I'm sorry you're such a loser that can't hold a relationship for more than _two months_!" Jean shouted, and stormed off.

Everyone groaned, and began to exit. Kitty let her breath go in relief. The Sirens were still on.

"Well," Scott called back. "I'm sorry that you're a loser whose mutant power is mental problems!"

"Oh, _big_ talker. My mental 'problems' can sense how much you like me, Scott!"

Everyone stopped. Logan crossed his arms in frustration. Scott opened his mouth, but couldn't speak.

"Well," he fumbled over words. "Maybe your mental 'problems' will help you register that one day."

With that he pushed past the others, and stormed out.

-

**Please review.  
Signed,  
--RedRogue**


	5. Rogue's Date

A/N: Sorry this one took longer than usual. I go by when my fellow Sirens tell me to update, and other fics currently demanded attention. Anyway, here you go!

-

"I _told_ you, Lance," Kitty said over the phone that night. "I can't go to the movies with you anymore. I can't like, do _anything_ with you anymore."

Rogue took out the curlers out of her hair and listened to Kitty, who was visiting with her in her dorm. Rogue beamed at her insistence with the Brotherhood boy. Rogue was proud of the gal. Kitty had chosen the X-men over her puppy love with the boy who had a permanent request for trouble.

"No, I don't always play by the rules…" Kitty argued in a huff. "Well, okay, I _do_, but that makes life a lot easier, don't you think? You don't have to watch your back and cover your tracks all the time. You should think about doing the same… You can't cheat at everything."

Rogue smiled at Kitty's naivety. Yes, you could, if you knew how. And something told her Lance knew how.

"Give it up, Kitty," Rogue advised. "He ain't never gonna learn."

"Everyone can change, Rogue," Kitty said in reply to the doubtful look on Rogue's face. "Oh, I was talking to Rogue, Lance. Yeah, I think it's for the best. Really. Alright, goodbye, Lance."

Kitty beeped off the phone and put it back in its place on the charger.

"You'll get over him in time, Kat," Rogue promised. She went fishing through her closet.

"I _know_…" Kitty sulked. "I mean, I never thought we were going to get married or anything. We just cared about each other, is all."

"That's all, huh?" Rogue chuckled. "Sure seemed like a lot more. Which dress?" She held up a black one, and a green one.

"The green one. And who are you to judge what we thought? We were worlds apart, and you know what the others said. He's a delinquent. You wouldn't know."

"Yes, Ah would, hon," Rogue assured her. "Ah've had the same problem."

"With who?"

Rogue shut her mouth quickly, and went back to fishing in her closet. Kitty smiled.

"With Gambit, right? I knew it!"

"Shut up, Kitty, that's not it."

"Than who else is there? You know, I just realized something, you're going through an awful lot of trouble to get ready for this date…"

Rogue exchanged the green dress and took the black one, just to prove it to Kitty that she wasn't trying to look nice for Gambit.

"Ah said be quiet! Ah don't like that stupid Cajun."

"That's what I said about Lance…"

"_Kitty_…" Rogue warned.

"What?!"

Rogue frowned, and put back the black dress for the green one, then left the room in a huff.

-

Scott knocked on Jean's door gently, wondering why he was the one apologizing… again. But her being mad at him was worse than saying he was wrong, so he swallowed his pride and here he was.

"Who is it?" she called from inside.

"It's…"

He considered for a moment high-tailing it out of here. He still had a chance.

"What?" Jean said, jerking open the door in a huff.

Blast, too late.

"Oh, it's you," she said with disdain. "What do you want?"

Scott thrust his hands into his pockets.

"You to forgive me," he said shamefully.

Jean raised her eyebrows.

"All right then. If you tell me what I'm forgiving you for…"

Scott gulped. She was testing him.

"Uhh… for making you mad?"

Yeah, _that_ was smooth.

"You don't even know why you're here, do you?"

"Honestly, I can't remember what we fought about."

Jean snorted. Then she slammed the door in his face. Scott rubbed his nose from where the door had hit his face. This was going to be harder than he thought.

-

"It wouldn't kill ya t' smile, Chere," Remy stated as they ate their food. He had told himself he wasn't going to push Rogue into having a good time, but she had spoken barely ten words all night long. The silent treatment was really getting old.

"Ah'm just waitin' fer this to be over," she shot back, stirring her pasta with her fork out of boredom. "Excuse me for not wantin' to fraternize with a past assailant."

"Only place I forced ya was into dat train," he said, taking a sip of his dark drink. "Da rest was all _you_, Chere."

He was right and she knew it. She could say no more against it.

"You look good," Remy complimented, providing a smooth change of subject. "Nice change from de dark dreds ya usually sport."

Rogue looked down at her green satin dress, silently wishing she had gone ahead and rebelled against Kitty's good fashion advice.

"I like my dark clothes."

"Ya like pushin' people away," he said decidedly.

Rogue snorted her disbelief, turning her face away form him.

"Just people like you."

"You don't hate me," he informed her. "Ya just hate the fact that you like me."

"_Yeah_, sure thing, Bayou Yoda."

"Ya still got dat card I gave ya?" Remy asked in a taunting tone.

"No, of course not," Rogue lied shamelessly, looking around the restaurant for the nearest exit. Remy just chuckled and went back to eating his steak.

"Hey, for da record," Remy said, taking another sip of his drink to speak clearer. "I wouldn't have turned ya in even if you refused dis date."

"What?!" Rogue slammed her fork down angrily. "You mean to tell me Ah got haggled into this? You conned me _again_!"

"Con artist, perhaps, but a snitch, Remy is not," he replied.

Rogue sighed, leaning her head on her hand.

"You amaze me, Gambit."

"I amaze myself sometimes too, don't worry 'bout it."

He leaned back in his chair and sighed happily, having his stomach filled to the brim. Then he leaned forward close, and motioned for her to come close too.

"Now comes to de part a' de conversation where I ask ya a favor…"

-

Rogue paced in front of her friends as she finished the story. She had to admit, her heart laid heavy in disappointment due to the fact that Gambit had decided to use her again.

"So the entire date was just to ask me to do this heist for him," she explained with a sigh.

"So he asked you, _not_ because he likes you, but because he had a hidden _agenda_," Alison said with a nod. "With you Rogue, why does that not surprise me?"

"Very funny," Rogue shot back at Alison's insult.

"I don't get it," Kitty piped up. "Why can't he get the Jade's Eye Emerald himself?"

"He says that his buddies are the ones doin' it," Rogue replied. "And there's a lot of them. He doesn't want them to get caught by the police, since they're his friends, but he doesn't feel right about them takin' the jewel either, which is why he didn't help them in the first place. He won't be able to get in there without bein' recognized… much less goin' in, gettin' the jewel before they do, and not trippin' a single alarm."

"So we gotta steal it before they do," Jean gathered. "We're not thieves. Why am I getting a bad vibe from all this?"

"Because it's an ex-Magneto crony telling us to do this?" Kitty offered. "Or maybe the fact that this jewel is worth like, three _million_ dollars?"

"Oh, right," Jean threw up her hands in frustration. "Where do we start?"

"Well," Rogue said. "Gambit already figured we'd need sneak suits and gear for all of us. _Ah_ figured we could use a big distraction for the visitors in the main lobby."

"In that case," Jean plotted. "We'll need to call in a favor of our own…"

"You're not thinking…?" Kitty faded off fearfully.

"Oh, yes, I am," Jean retorted. "I'm calling the Scarlet Witch."

-

**Please review.  
Signed,  
--RedRogue**


	6. The Heist

Wanda strolled into the museum in broad daylight, peering at the exhibits with limited interest. History, art, and science never really interested her, since it never documented the really important things… like mutants and powers. Without all the facts, what was the use of all this razzmatazz if it didn't even mention mutants?

Oh, well. It would just all have to go. Wanda reeled up a good blast, and made a crater in the centerpiece. That should be enough to get the attention of every guard in the place. Enough to distract them just long enough anyway…

-

Rogue somehow felt right at home on this heist, as she and her friends walked casually through the halls together. Dazzler blew every light that followed them, making it glow so bright there was no way the security cameras could see anything. They left her behind as Shadowcat grabbed a hold of both Jean and Rogue and went through the wall.

There it was, in it's big glass case, in all its green glory. The Jade's Eye Emerald. Rogue tapped a leftover security guard with her bared finger, while Jean disabled the mind of the other.

"The laser sensors will probably still sense your movement even when your phasing, Kitty," Jean guessed.

"Not if you lifted her above it," Rogue suggested.

Kitty frowned.

"I don't really like heights…"

"Just do it," Rogue replied impatiently.

-

"Get down!" a security guard shouted to the frightened civilians as Wanda wound up another blast. She had them on the run now… She couldn't stay for much longer. No doubt the police would be here any minute, or worse… the other X-Men. Her part was done. She tipped her hat to the lot of them, and took her leave out the door.

Only to be greeted by Cyclops, Nightcrawler, and Iceman.

"Out of my way," Wanda commanded them, shoving them aside with a gentle blast. "This doesn't concern you."

"Who _does_ it concern?" Cyclops asked with confusion. "Are you helping someone?"

The Scarlet Witch, of course, didn't answer. Cyclops quirked an eyebrow, watching her walk off. He looked at the museum, then decided to let it alone. Now was probably not the best time to catch on.

-

Kitty controlled her breathing as she was lowered over the glass case, very careful to avoid the laser beams that protected the jewel. She phased through the doubled-paned glass, through the protective center box and through the display case. They _really_ didn't want this thing to be stolen. Very quickly she nabbed it, then held it close, as Jean gently lifted her out.

"Home free, ya'll!" Rogue shouted happily, as Kitty tossed the jewel to her, and Rogue placed it in a special black pouch for safekeeping.

"Not quite," said a voice from the hall. Three men stood with sneak suits much like the ones the girls wore themselves, and gear at the ready. These were the men Gambit had been talking about. They were here to steal the jewel.

"Hand over the gem," the one in front commanded. "Nice and easy."

"We do all this planning and work just to give it up to _you_ clowns?" Kitty snorted, then purposely reached out and tripped an alarm. "Think again!"

Kitty grabbed an arm off of each of her teammates and together they phased through the floor, leaving those thieves behind to take the blame.

-

"That was brilliant!" Kitty squealed as they parked the SUV in an abandoned parking lot. They had agreed to meet Gambit here, but apparently he was late. Rogue pulled out the goods, staring at the magnificent oval jewel incredulously.

"It's so perfect," Rogue sighed. "What a thrill that heist was."

"I know, right?" Kitty clapped excitedly.

"One we are _not_ doing ever again," Jean said. "We cut it close with those guys. We just borrowed it long enough to keep it away from the _real_ thieves. Those 'friends of Gambit's'. Where is Gambit anyway?"

"Maybe he forgot," Dazzler offered. "So we should probably just keep it."

No one payed her any regard, seeing as they figured she wasn't serious. They were quickly distracted anyway by a distant drum of a motorcycle, heard coming from far away and only getting closer. Soon, all four girls could see a trench-coated figure riding a black motorcycle and turning into the driveway to their very parking lot.

Gambit slowed to a stop and turned off the engine of his bike. He took off his helmet and swung a leg off to dismount off. He spared no time in getting down to business.

"Ya get it?" he asked immediately. Rogue stepped forward with the jewel. Gambit took it from her slowly, and leaned close to take a better look.

"Beautiful…" Gambit admired, and he winked, purposefully telling Rogue he _wasn't_ talking about the gem. Rogue rolled her eyes and let him bag up the jewel once more.

"Now, you've gals done enough work fo' one day," Gambit said. "Allow me to be da Good Samaritan and take it on back fo' ya."

"Like we weren't onto your plan from the beginning," Jean smirked, yanking the jewel away from his grasp with her telekinesis. "We do all the work, then just hand it over to you to keep for yourself, without having to run into your old friends… or should I say, rivals? An _almost_ perfect plan, pulled on any other chump."

Gambit grinned, then reached out and touched the jewel as it floated before him.

"Well, den ya should've guessed I had a Plan B," he said, as the jewel charged and glowed. "If I don't get it, den _no_ one does. I'm a little stingy that way."

Dazzler frowned, Kitty pouted, Rogue crossed her arms and glared while Jean just sighed deeply. She had no choice but to lower the jewel back into Gambit's hands.

"Pleasure doing business," Gambit said, hopping back onto his bike. He winked at Rogue.

"I'll be waiting fo' that second date."

"Yer gonna be waiting a _long_ time, Gumbo," Rogue scowled.

-

The next day, Jean put away her Siren's costume back on the shelf of her closet, hopefully this time for good. No more vigilante activities that turn into crimes. No more. As she closed the door of her room behind herself, she found Scott already standing there waiting for her.

"I was planning another apology speech," he confessed quickly. Jean crossed her arms.

"Let's hear it," she encouraged him onward.

"I'm sorry for being a jerk and for once again not respecting you as an equal. I was always brought up where the guys take care of the girls. I just have to realize that sometimes the girls may want to take care of themselves."

Jean smiled and reached for his hand. She squeezed it gently.

"Good speech."

Scott sighed in relief, then made his way off. Jean cocked her head at him, wondering if he had suspected or even knew about the return of the Sirens, and had just been ignoring it all along. Either way, it didn't matter now. She shrugged it off and made her way to the kitchen to get a bite to eat, finding Rogue there already.

"Look at this," she told Jean, directing her gaze to the TV. It was the news, showing the usual female reporter in a gray suit. Rogue turned it up to be sure to catch every word.

"_The jewel thieves recovered last night still face jailtime for their actions, but up until a few hours ago the whereabouts of the Jade's Eye Emerald were unknown. Then this morning officials say the same jewel was sold back to them for a fraction of the price it is worth. Whether this anonymous seller was working with the thieves or not still remains to be seen._"

"Well, I'll be," Jean grinned. "He really was the Good Samaritan after all."

"Or just a really big sucker," Remy himself said, leaning against the frame of the kitchen doorway. "Why _else_ would I sell back a priceless jewel for five hundred grand, eh? Blast my honest streak."

"What are _you_ doin' here?" Rogue stood up on her feet, ready to pound his head in.

"Oh, didn't ya hear?" Gambit said, straightening up. "Oh, right, you missed the meeting. Well... Gambit has decided to stay here _indefinitely_, Chere."

Rogue's mouth dropped, as did Jean's.

"What?" Jean spat out. "Why in the world would you _want_ to live here?"

"I can think of a _few_ reasons to hang around," he smirked, tossing the small black pouch Rogue had wrapped the jewel in the night before. It was now empty, of course. Rogue caught it as it came her way, staring in awe and not knowing what to think.

Yet, as much as she fought it, she could help but smirk in amusement. This should be interesting.

-

**END **

- 

**Look out for episode 2! Please review.  
Signed,  
--RedRogue**


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